Protective shield for holding sanitary napkins and method of making

ABSTRACT

A protective shield for holding sanitary napkins in place during use comprising an elongated nonwoven fabric of overlapping, intersecting fibers having a primary or predominant direction of fiber orientation substantially in the long direction of the elongated nonwoven fabric whereby the elongated nonwoven fabric possesses excellent strength in its long direction and considerable extensibility in its cross direction, the side edges of the central portion of the protective shield being gathered together to form a boatlike configuration capable of securely holding a sanitary napkin in place therein during use.

United States Patent Surpless 51 Apr.11, 1972 54 PROTECTIVE SHIELD FORHOLDING 3,400,718 9/1968 SaIjO ..12s/291 ANITA Y N APKIN E AKINg 8 AND MTHOD OF FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [7 Inventor: Susan R. surpless,Metuchen NJ- 239,49l 7/1962 Australia ..l28/290 R 73 Assignee; Johnson &Johnson Primary Examiner-Charles F. Rosenbaum Attorney-Alexander T.Kardos, W. Frederick Mayer and [22] Filed: Mar. 5, 1970 Robert Minim-1 1. N .1 1 1 [2 1 App 6 80 57 ABSTRACT 52 US. Cl. ..128/290 1-! Apmtective Shield hlding Sanitary napkins in Place 51 Int. Cl. ..A6lf13/16 ing use compising ekmgaed fabric 53 Field di Search 128/257 28'9290 R 290 H laPPingi intersecing fibers having a Primary Pedmmamdirection of fiber orientation substantially in the long direction ofthe elongated nonwoven fabric whereby the elongated nonwoven fabricpossesses excellent strength in its long direction [56] References CMand considerable extensibility in its cross direction, the side UNITEDSTATES PATENTS edges of the central portion of the protective shieldbeing gathered together to form a boatlike configuration capable of i; ig t? securely holding a sanitary napkin in place therein during use. eerson 2,896,626 7/1959 Voigtman ..128/29O W 1 Claims, 9 Drawing Figuresl I l -7 l- E: 5 i

7 l- 5 l E l- PATENTEBAPR H I972 3, 654, 927

SHEET 1 UF 2 H (2 05s 2/354- r/o/v MACH/IVE .D/EEC r/wv Q I c'iass Dyes:r/a/v r" I T 1:, E M E 1956 r/a/v /Z Z 2/ 5 V W L L X 2 Q V5 INVENTOR 5054 e ,Sz/IPP4 55 ATTORNEY PROTECTIVE SHIELD FOR HOLDING SANITARYNAPKINS AND METHOD OF MAKING The present invention relates to protectiveshields for securely holding sanitary napkins in place during use andmore particularly to such protective shields which are made in aparticular manner from a nonwoven fabric whereby they possess desiredand necessary physical properties and characteristics.

Protective undergarments, appliances, shields, covers holders, and thelike, have been designed and used previously to hold sanitary napkinssecurely in position and to prevent the escape of fluid from thesanitary napkin to soil the clothing of the wearer during use.

Some of these protective products are designed to be reusable and arethus economical, if reused, but such reuse thereby involves washing,cleaning, and drying operations which are generally undesirable with theresult that such reusable products have never been as completelycommercially satisfactory as desired.

Other protective products have been designed to be disposable perhapsafter a single use in order to avoid the undesirable washing, cleaning,and drying operations and such other products are also relativelyeconomical but have never really possessed the desired or necessaryphysical properties and characteristics to a sufficient degree to makethem as commercially acceptable as desired.

It is therefore a principal purpose and object of the present inventionto provide a protective shield for securely holding a sanitary napkin inplace during use which will be economical; which will not requiresubsequent washing, cleaning, or drying; which possesses the necessaryand desired physical properties and characteristics; and which can bedisposed of readily after one or a limited number of uses.

The invention will be more fully understood from the description whichfollows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in whichthere are illustrated preferred designs and modes of operation embodyingthe invention. lt is to be understood, however, that the invention isnot to be considered limited to the constructions disclosed except asdetermined by the seope of the appended claims. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank of nonwoven fabric suitableas the starting material for making the protective shield of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the method offolding the nonwoven fabric blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the folded nonwoven fabric blank which isprovided with a plurality of triangular cuts or notches at the edges ofthe central portion thereof;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a folded nonwoven fabric blank similar to FIG.3 but having the four corners cut away and removed to provide taperedend portions or fastening tabs;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a folded nonwoven fabric similar to FIG. 3 butshowing fold lines whereby tapered end portions or fastening tabs may beobtained by folding means;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing the protective shield of thepresent invention in which the cuts or notches are drawn together andoverlapped in the form of darts and are bonded together whereby thecentral portion thereof assumes a boatlike configuration;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the protective shield, taken on thelines 7-7 of FIG. 6, in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the protective shield, taken on theline 8-8 of FIG. 6, in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the protective shield, taken on theline 9-9 of FIG. 6, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the drawings and with particular reference to FIG. 1 thereof, thereis shown a blank of nonwoven fabric 10 which is suitable as the startingmaterial for making the protective shield of the present invention. Thesize of such a blank 10 may be varied considerably but, in order todescribe the present invention, the blank 10 employed herein forillustrative purposes measures approximately 19 inches in the machinedirection and approximately 10 inches in the cross direction.

The terms machine direction or long direction and cross direction" ortransverse direction are used herein with reference to the method ofmanufacturing such nonwoven fabrics which are customarily made fromcarded or drafted fibrous webs, such as described in greaterparticularity in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,098,265, 3,119,152, and 3,283,366. Theterm machine direction is used herein to indicate the predominant orprimary direction of fiber orientation, as described in these patents.

The carded or drafted fibrous webs are bonded into a selfsustainingnonwoven fabric by any of the known bonding techniques presently used inthe industry. Typical examples of such techniques are disclosed, forexample, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,039,312, 3,009,822, and 2,705,686-2,705,688which describe the so-called MASSLINN" nonwoven fabrics and morespecific details may be found therein, as regards binder agents,percentages of binder agent add-on, print patterns, surface coverages,etc.

Such nonwoven fabrics possess excellent strength in the machine or longdirection and considerable extensibility and elasticity in thetransverse or cross direction. Such unusual relationship of physicalproperties and characteristics, as will be pointed out hereinafter,render such nonwoven fabrics extremely desirable for making theprotective shields of the present invention.

The fibers of the nonwoven fabric 10 overlap and intersect in knownmanner and are preferably absorbent cellulosic fibers, such as cotton orrayon. Other fibers, either absorbent or non-absorbent, may be used asdesired or required in any desired proportion of blends and mixtures,whereby special fiber and fabric properties and characteristics areobtained. Such other fibers include polyamide nylon 6, 66, 610, etc.',polyethylene phthalate polyester fibers such as Kodel and Dacron;acrylic fibers such as Creslan and Orlon; modacrylic fibers such asDynel and Verel; polyolefinic fibers such as polyethylene andpolypropylene; etc.

The weight of the nonwoven fabric blank used as the starting material(See Fig. 1) for making the protective shields of the present inventionmay be varied relatively widely. Preferred weights are found in therange of from about 220 grains per square yard to about 500 grains persquare yard. If, in the course of the manufacture of the protectiveshield, the starting blank is folded to double or triple its originalthickness, then its weight per square yard, as used in the finalproduct, is correspondingly doubled or tripled, as the case may be.

Subsequent to the bonding of the fibrous web into a selfsustainingnonwoven fabric, one surface 11 of the nonwoven fabric is coated with afluid repellent material. This is accomplished by conventional extrusioncoating processes such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,728.

As is noted in FIG. 2, this extrusion process will leave the othersurface 13 of the nonwoven fabric uncoated and still soft, fibrous andof the same original hand or feel.

The fluid repellent material may be selected from a large group of knownfluid repellent materials such as synthetic polymeric materialsincluding ethylene vinyl acetate; unplasticized polyvinyl chlorides(Geon type); polyethylene glycol terephthalate polyesters;polypropylene; polyethylene; acetoxylated polyethylenes; etc.

Such fluid repellent materials actually form a film or a sheetlikecoating on the nonwoven fabric and the thickness of such a coating maybe varied from as thin as about one-fourth mil to as much as 2 or 3 milsor more, as desired or required. Within the more practical aspects ofthe present invention, thicknesses of from about one-half mil to about 1mil are contemplated.

The fluid repellent material must naturally be inert, nontoxic,non-allergenic, and non-irritating to the skin of the user. It must havevery little and preferably no affinity for water and specifically noaffinity for body fluids and exudates. It should be used in an amountand in a fashion so as not to stiffen or reduce the softness of theprotective shield, either immediately or upon ageing. It should becolorless and odorless and should not significantly reduce the wet ordry strength of the nonwoven fabric to which it is applied. FIG. 2discloses one method of folding the nonwoven fabric blank in a so-calledG-fold whereby three folded layers are formed, as shown. Such a 0-foldis preferred, but an S-fold or other folds are also of use. Theresulting folded product still measures 19 inches in the long directionbut now, as folded, measures approximately 3% to 3% inches in the crossdirection. And, naturally, its weight per square inch is tripled.

It is to be appreciated that, if a G-fold is used, the surface of thenonwoven fabric coated with the fluid-repellent material will be foldedinwardly whereby both outer surfaces of the final product will remainsoft, fibrous, and of the same original hand or feel.

Small notches or cuts 12, 12, 12 and 14, 14, 14 are formed in the sideedges of the central portion of the folded product 20 (see FIG. 3) andthese are preferably triangular in nature, having a base at the edge ofthe fabric which may be extremely small or even negligible, or which maybe up to about threeeighths inch. The notch has a depth of from aboutone-fourth inch to about one-half inch or even more, if desired orrequired. For reasons to become clear from a further reading of thisdisclosure, these notches or cuts should be formed only in the centralarea 16 of the protective shield, which central area measures from about6 inches to about 8 inches. Also, although three notches or cuts aredisclosed, and are preferred, as few as one notch on each side may beused, or as many as four or five notches or even more may be employed oneach side. These notches or cuts, however, are always formed in thecentral portion 16.

End portions 18, 18 are also present in the protective shield and,although they are disclosed as having substantially the same length,such has been done for ease of illustration and it is to be appreciatedthat they may also have unequal lengths.

The end portions 18 of the protective shield 20 may be tapered by havingthe four corners cutaway as indicated at 28 in FIG. 4. Or they maymerely be folded inwardly along fold lines 30, as indicated in FIG. 5,whereby the end portions 38 have greater thickness and body and greaterstrength for fastening purposes.

Each individual triangular notch or cut 12 and 14 is gathered togetherand overlapped to some extent, thereby pulling the edges of the fabrictogether like a dressmakers dart" which gathers the fabric together toform a boatlike configuration. Heat and pressure are then appliedthereto, whereby the fluid repellent material which possesses inherentself-bonding properties and which permanently bonds the protectiveshield into the boatlike configuration illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 disclose how the cross-sectional shape of theprotective shield varies from (1) a relatively small crosssection at thetapered end portions or fastening tabs 48; to (2) a relatively largercross-section 50 as the central portion of the protective shield isapproached, and finally to (3) a boatlike configuration 52 at thecentral portion.

The creation of a boatlike configuration having desired and necessaryphysical properties and characteristics is made possible (I) by havingthe primary or predominant direction of fiber orientation extending inthe lengthwise direction of the protective shield to provide thenecessary strength requirements thereto and (2) by having the crossdirection or transverse fiber direction extending in the widthwisedirection of the protective shield whereby it is provided with thenecessary extensibility and elastic properties required therein.

Because of these unique properties, the protective holder supports thesanitary napkin very securely. Actually, the gathered edges of theholder exert a strong holding force on the sanitary napkin and assist inthe anatomical shaping of the sanitary napkin to the contours of thewearer. This, of course,

is due primarily to the extensibility of the holder in its crossdirection, in cooperation with the excellent strength in the longdirection of the holder.

The invention will be further described by reference to the followingExamples wherein there are disclosed preferred embodiments of thepresent invention. However, it is to be appreciated that such Examplesare illustrative but not limitative of the broader aspects of theinventive concept.

EXAMPLE I The nonwoven fabric blank starting material comprises l /z /zdenier, 1 9/16 inch regenerated cellulose rayon staple fibers. Itcomprises 220 grains per square yard of such fibers and 40 grains persquare yard of Rohm & Haas Rhoplex HA-8 ethyl acrylate polymeric binderagent which is applied in a wavy line pattern, 6 lines to the inch. Theblank measures 19 inches in the long direction and 10 inches in thecross direction. The water repellent material is ethylene vinyl acetateand is applied as a one-half mil film by extrusion coating techniques toone side of the blank.

The blank is folded into a three-layer G-fold, as shown in FIG. 2,having a width of about 3 /2 inches. Three notches are formed in theside edges as shown in FIG. 3. These notches are located 7 /2 inches, 9inches and 10% inches from the left hand end of the protective shield,as viewed in FIG. 3. Each notch is about one-fourth inch at the base andabout one-half inch deep. The end portions of the folded blank arefolded inwardly to form a tapered fastening tab having a length of 6inches (left hand end) and 7 inches (right hand end), as shown in FIG.5. The notches are individually overlapped slightly and then heat andpressure are applied thereto to bond the overlapped portion permanentlytogether. A boatlike configuration as shown in FIG. 6 is obtained.

A conventional tab-less sanitary napkin of a standard size is placed inthe boatlike central portion of the protective shield and is securelyheld therein. The and portions are used to fasten the protective shieldto a standard, conventional belt and the product performs satisfactorilyin use.

EXAMPLE II The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as setforth therein except that the cuts or notches in the edges are onlyone-fourth inch deep rather than one-half inch as shown therein. Theboatlike configuration is still formed but is relatively shallower thanthat formed in Example I. The product performs satisfactorily in similarfashion.

EXAMPLE III EXAMPLE IV The procedures of Example I are followedsubstantially as set forth therein except that the overlapped areas arereinforced by adhesively secured reinforcement patches measuringone-half inch by 1% inches. The product performs satisfactorily in use.

EXAMPLE V The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as setforth therein except that only two notches are formed. These notches arelocated 7 inches from each end of the protective shield. The productperforms satisfactorily in similar fashion.

EXAMPLE VI The procedures of Example V are followed substantially as setforth therein except that a spot of liquid adhesive is used to reinforcethe overlapped areas. The product performs satisfactorily in use.

EXAMPLE Vll The procedures of Example I are followed substantially asset forth therein except that polyethylene is used as the fluidrepellent material instead of ethylene vinyl acetate. The productperforms satisfactorily in use.

Although the present invention has been described with reference toseveral examples and embodiments showing specific materials and specificproducts in specific arrangements and conformations, such is not to beconsidered limitative of the invention but merely illustrative thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A method making a protective shield for holding a sanitary napkinduring use comprising: forming an elongated nonwoven fabric ofoverlapping, intersecting fibers having a predominant direction of fiberorientation substantially in the long direction of said elongatednonwoven fabric, whereby the protective shield has excellent strength inthe long direction thereof and considerable extensibility in the crossdirection; extrusion coating a water repellent material on one surfaceof the elongated nonwoven fabric; folding the nonwoven fabric lengthwiseinto a three-layer, G-fold configuration with the surface coated withthe water repellent material folded inwardly to leave no surfacesexposed which are coated with the water repellent material; providingthe edges of the central portion of said protective shield with at leastone notch or cut on each side; and gathering the central portiontogether into a boatlike configuration capable of securely holding asanitary napkin therein during use.

1. A method making a protective shield for holding a sanitary napkinduring use comprising: forming an elongated nonwoven fabric ofoverlapping, intersecting fibers having a predominant direction of fiberorientation substantially in the long direction of said elongatednonwoven fabric, whereby the protective shield has excellent strength inthe long direction thereof and considerable extensibility in the crossdirection; extrusion coating a water repellent material on one surfaceof the elongated nonwoven fabric; folding the nonwoven fabric lengthwiseinto a three-layer, G-fold configuration with the surface coated withthe water repellent material folded inwardly to leave no surfacesexposed which are coated with the water repellent material; providingthe edges of the central portion of said protective shield with at leastone notch or cut on each side; and gathering the central portiontogether into a boatlike configuration capable of securely holding asanitary napkin therein during use.